I'll Take What I Want
by m.brown
Summary: Compilation of Elijah/Hayley one-shots that didn't take place in the show, but definitely could have!


**Dialogue from 1x18 "The Big Uneasy" after the attack Marcel provoked at the** **Fête des Bénédictions** **. Klaus and Elijah are fighting about how Klaus didn't tell Elijah about his allegiance with the wolves though there was a peace treaty. My thoughts on if Hayley walked in on their fight!**

 **To those waiting on my "Time Tells All" update- it's coming, I promise! Finals have just been a bitch.**

Elijah sat on the couch and waited. He waited for his diabolical, narcissistic, infuriating little brother to return home so Elijah could… well, truth be told he didn't know what he was going to do. Despite everything, Klaus had deceived him yet again. Time and time again Elijah had stood by him, defended him, and above all else, he had trusted his brother. He sighed as he heard footsteps on the stone floors. He picked at the remnants of Thierry's dried blood on his hand and sipped his glass of bourbon before looking up to find Klaus staring at him.

"Well, I see that you've already avenged the little wolf. But judging by your look, you're still out for blood," Klaus said cynically. Elijah held his glass up and inspected the golden liquid.

"If the definition of insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting different results, then surely my quest for your salvation ranks me as one of the maddest of men," he said before looking at his brother.

"Come on, then. What horrible deed has the bastard done this time?"

"Do you know, in the past, I actually appreciated the methods to your manipulations?" Elijah asked him. Klaus looked as though he was about to respond, but Elijah continued. "However, now, here we are, poised on the brink of a new era which will benefit not only your home but your child, and you go behind my back to conspire with wolves."

"Conspire is hardly the word I would use for a family council. Lest you forget, Elijah, they are my family as much as any Mikaelson. A name, in truth, I cannot even call my own," Klaus spat. Elijah narrowed his eyes and stood up.

"How casually you disavow 1,000 years of allegiance towards you," Elijah said.

"And now that I've found the remnants of my other family, am I to ignore their plight?" he asked. "I would've thought you'd support my desire to help them, when in doing so, I help Hayley, and the child."

Klaus smirked at him. Elijah knew he was merely trying to rile him up, but even after 1,000 years of watching and learning his manipulative games, he still knew how to push Elijah to the brink.

"Do _not_ question my allegiance towards that child," Elijah growled. Klaus's smile faded and was replaced by a snarl.

"Oh, and I suppose your affection for Hayley has nothing to do with your tireless dedication," he said. "Yes, you see, I saw how you cared for her tonight. Called her name in the dark. The zeal with which you destroy those who would harm her."

Elijah wanted to snap him in two. Klaus had no feelings for Hayley though he made it his goal to possess her out of spite. He had some psychological deformation that caused him to take happiness from those who were in his life. Good or bad; it did not matter. He had been determined to make everyone's lives hell, no matter the consequences.

"I have denied every single impulse I have ever had for that woman. Out of some misbegotten respect for intentions that you don't even have," Elijah fired back.

"I'm warning you..." Klaus growled as he took a step towards Elijah. However, Elijah was in no mood to play nice. He pinned his brother up against the wall and looked him dead in the eyes.

"I'm warning _you_. I have forgiven you. I have stood by you. I have forsaken every single one of my desires in the name of your ridiculous redemption," Elijah said. He released his brother from his hold and stepped back. Letting his arms drop to his sides, he gave up. His brother had finally pushed him far enough.

"No more. If I want something, I'll take it. And nothing… nothing will stand in my way."

Klaus looked at him with pain rooted deeply in his eyes. Elijah, the one person who had always stood by him, had left him too. Elijah knew this, but couldn't find it in his heart to care anymore. If Klaus was going to push him away, he would let him. Elijah turned to walk out of the compound, but stopped dead in his tracks.

Hayley stood in the center of the room with a dumbfounded expression etched on her face.

"Well, it seems you two have a fair bit to discuss," Klaus said sharply before brushing past his brother and storming out of the compound. Elijah noticed that his mouth had been hanging open and quickly shut it, though he found it impossible to take his eyes off of Hayley. She had a look on her face that he couldn't quite place. It was a mixture confusion and shock, but he couldn't tell how she truly felt about the revelation.

"I just came by to thank you for earlier. Saving me in there…" Hayley said quietly. Her eyes too hadn't left his since he had turned around. He tried not to focus on it, but he could hear her heartbeat increasing. She swallowed one nervously and grabbed her arm.

"Of course," Elijah said with a slight nod. He fixed his tie and squared his shoulders trying to regain some of his confidence, but there was nothing that could help him in the presence of this woman. The pair stood silent for a few more moments before Elijah spoke.

"How much did you hear?"

"Enough."

Again, a silence plagued the room. He didn't know what to say. He didn't know what he _could_ say. Though he knew the connection they had wasn't all in his mind, it still didn't change the fact that he had proclaimed his feelings to his brother and then told him he was basically going to take Hayley for himself. He felt utterly mortified and just plain guilty.

"Hayley… forgive me. What I said was uncalled for and was said in a moment of anger-"

"Can you answer me one thing?" Hayley interrupted. She crossed her arms and walked towards him with a scowl on her face that Elijah hadn't expected to form.

"Why is it that you can tell your asshole of a brother how you feel, but can't find a way to talk to me about it?" Hayley yelled. She threw a threatening glare at him and raised her eyebrow.

"I-"

"If you're about to spout some bullshit about trying to protect me and not wanting to make me a target, I've heard it, okay? It's not an excuse anymore."

Elijah was speechless. How could he tell her? Of course he was protecting her. He didn't want her to end up hurt or killed like so many other people he had loved in his lifetime. He didn't want Klaus to take his anger out on her. He didn't want her to end up with a man who would not age when she had her entire life ahead of her to find happiness.

"So that's it? You can tell Klaus you're going to take what you want, but can't even find _something_ to say to me?" Hayley said. When Elijah didn't reply, she shook her head and turned to leave. But before she even took two steps, she turned back around and strode quickly towards him.

"You know, you are just as bad as Klaus! 'The Noble One' my ass! You are a coward, and a liar, and-"

Hayley was stopped mid-rant by a pair of lips against her own. Elijah knew words weren't going to quell her anger and frankly he was tired of pretending there was nothing between them. His mouth was hard on hers and just as he thought she was going to return the kiss, she pushed him away. She glared at him, but he knew better. Her cheeks were flushed, her heart was racing, and there was a hunger in her eyes that hadn't been there before. She had pushed him away purely because of her pride.

"You cannot just-"

Elijah vamped the two of them to a back corridor and instantly planted his lips on hers again. Though Hayley was backed up against a wall with Elijah firmly pressed against her, the kiss was gentle. The roughness from earlier did not bode well for him, so if this did not work, he wasn't sure what would. Elijah pulled back slightly so that his lips barely danced over hers. He wanted her to want him. He _needed_ her to.

He opened his eyes to find her lips slightly parted and her gaze on his mouth. Her eyes flickered up to his and before he could say anything, her lips were on his again. Hayley cupped his face in her hands and pulled him to her. Elijah slid a hand behind her and pinned her against the wall. They had absolutely no regard for the outside world nor did they care.

Hayley ran her hand up his neck and into his hair that she had been longing to mess up. He catered to every move she made, inhaling and exhaling as she did. They moved almost in total sync with each other. Nothing had ever been quite so perfect in either of their messy lives so they cherished the moment they had together.

Elijah ran a hand down her side, but stopped on the swell of her stomach. He paused thinking about his actions. Yes, what he had said earlier was true, but it was in anger. He had denied his affections for Hayley for a reason. She was still pregnant, still hormonal, still carrying his brother's child…

"Don't."

Elijah looked up at Hayley and saw determination in her eyes. She placed her smaller hand on top of his that still rested on her stomach. She squeezed it softly and brought her other hand to his cheek.

"I know what you're thinking. But please, just don't," she said. The vulnerability in her voice struck Elijah right in the heart. This was a woman who had been abandoned one too many times, and despite his moral code entailing his brother and his child, he had to put Hayley first. There was no one in 1,000 years that he had cared more for than this girl and the thought of hurting her broke him.

Elijah removed his hand from her stomach and swept a piece of hair from her face. He inwardly smiled at her still scared expression not because he took pleasure in it like his brother may have, but because he knew she felt as he did.

"Forgive me. 'The Noble One' may have had one too many thoughts regarding his brother swarming around in his head," Elijah said with a smile. Hayley raised an eyebrow as a grin formed on her face.

"Hmm… that's a little concerning that you're thinking about Klaus at a time like this," Hayley said playfully.

"Yes, well my brother does have this nasty little habit of popping up during the most inconvenient of times," Elijah replied. He gently cupped her cheek and let himself get lost in her hazel eyes. "But don't worry; he's gone now."

Hayley pulled her back to him and sighed. It felt as though whatever part of her she had been missing all her life was finally here. She understood what it felt like to be loved and what it felt like to love.


End file.
